1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an article of footwear, especially a sports boot, and relates more particularly to a boot adapted for skiing, power walking, and other sporting activities.
A boot of the aforementioned type can be used in fields such as cross-country skiing or telemark skiing, walking or running on flat or mountainous terrain, hiking, snowboarding, snowshoeing, roller skating, skateboarding, cycling, ball sports, or the like.
2. Background Information
A boot can have a low upper or a high upper. In either case, it is generally desirable for the foot of a user to be adequately supported. Indeed, good foot support in the upper results in a more efficient use of the boot, particularly in the fields of endeavor cited above.
For example, adequate support in a flexible boot, such as that in a boot used in cross-country skiing, facilitates the transmission of sensory information and the rolling movement of the foot during use. A device for tightening the upper is adapted to support the user's foot, especially in the area of the instep.
Conventionally, a tightening device includes a linkage, such as a lace, on the one hand, and guides for connecting the lace to the upper. These guides or connections are defined by keepers, e.g., that are associated with lateral and medial portions or quarters of the upper. The lace follows a path along which it runs alternately from one quarter to the other. Thus, it suffices to pull on the lace to bring the quarters in a direction toward one another to tighten the upper. Thereafter, locking the lace keeps the upper tightened. It is known to employ a reversible locking mechanism, which offers advantages such as ease and speed of tightening and releasing of tension on the lace.
It is also desirable for the foot of the user to be protected from potential risks of intrusion of foreign matter, such as water or snow, into the boot. To this end, it is known to use a cover flap, i.e., a flap adapted for at least partially concealing an opening for inserting the foot in the boot, in the area of the tightening device. Thus, the flap is adapted to cover the lace, the quick-locking mechanism, and areas of the quarters of the upper. This arrangement provides the user with good conditions of use, as the foot is properly held in the boot and is protected from intrusions.
However, it has been shown that the aforementioned conditions of use, although good, could be further improved. Indeed, a user sometimes feels discomfort associated with foot movements in relation to the lower leg. For example, the flap adversely affects the freedom of movement during bending, i.e., when the leg tilts in a direction towards the foot. The flap, although otherwise very useful, also restricts certain movements of the foot in relation to the leg during bending or during certain rotations. In fact, folds can form in the area of the flap, which stiffen the flap and negatively affect its flexibility. In other words, the flap does not adequately conform to the shape of the foot and, as a result, it is the flexibility of the upper, broadly speaking, that is adversely affected. Therefore, the freedom of movement of the foot is adversely affected.